


All Aboard

by slightlylessmediocre



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: HoO - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-10 04:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2010603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlylessmediocre/pseuds/slightlylessmediocre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post House of Hades, the Seven (plus Nico) start their journey to Mount Olympus. They may be safe from Gaea's forces for the moment, but they need to figure out what's going on with each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Piper

**Author's Note:**

> Basically the only important thing is that it takes place after House of Hades in an AU where Nico went on the Argo II because of reasons and also where everyone is about the same age (16-18 range) because I can’t deal with young teenagers I just can’t. Also chapters are divided by POV.

Piper, as usual, blamed her mom for this. For her caring about love and romance- specifically, other people’s love and romance. She wished, oh so desperately she wished that the only relationship she cared about was her and Jason, which really was the only relationship she should get in to.  


But no. She was a daughter of Aphrodite. Completely useless- except when it comes to noticing other relationship problems. That was her special skill. _Watch out Gaea._  


She tried to ignore the problem, really she did. But Nico Di Angelo was radiating pure broken-heart. That wasn’t exactly new but it seemed somehow worse lately- and Piper knew why. She remembered when Jason was right next to her and he couldn’t remember her at all- it was so upsetting, even if the memories of them together at Wilderness School were fake. Piper imagined Nico was in a similar situation- before; he was trying everything he could to get Percy and Annabeth out of Tartarus but now that they were back and being all….couple-y all over the place, Nico was forced to face the reality that the person he loved was in love with another boy named Percy.  


Annabeth had told Piper that she was pretty sure that Nico liked her- which makes sense as to why he was always so awkward around Annabeth and why he hated Percy so much. Of course Piper understood why Nico had a crush on Annabeth- she was so smart and strong, and she had that gold hair and those intense eyes. Not to mention that Annabeth was probably the first girl that Nico saw in what, _seventy years?_ , that wasn’t his sister.  


But Percy and Annabeth were inseparable, even more so since they escaped Tartarus, and as much as Piper wanted Nico to be happy, Annabeth was off limits. It was unfortunate that there weren’t a bunch of other cute daughters of Athena around. In fact, there weren’t any good options around- Hazel was his sister, Annabeth was with Percy and Piper was with Jason. Maybe Reyna, who seemed to also be hung up on someone who was taken (and who also happened to be Piper’s boyfriend).  


So there was no moving Nico on to someone else, which would probably be the easiest way to get him off Annabeth- but Piper was determined. If _anything_ good came from Aphrodite being her mother, she wanted it to be making Nico Di Angelo happy.  


Or at least slightly less miserable.  


Plus it would be nice if Percy and Nico got along better.


	2. Jason

Piper gave a frustrated sigh and fell on to Jason’s bed. Jason was sitting on the other side, reading a book Annabeth had lying around and suggested to him. He lowered the book, raising his eyebrow at his girlfriend. “Problem, Pipes?” He asked after a minute.  


She groaned. “Yes.”  


Piper remained silent. Jason put the book down and rolled over so that he was lying next to her. “What’s wrong?” He asked.  


“I’m frustrated.”  


“By who?”  


“Nico.”  


A crease appeared between Jason’s eyebrows. He didn’t know what Piper’s recent obsession with Nico was about or where it came from but he didn’t like it. He knew it made Nico uncomfortable and keeping Nico’s secret from Piper made Jason uncomfortable. But Jason would never tell- not on the threat of death.  


Although honestly, Jason thought Nico should tell everyone- if not about him liking Percy, at least that he was gay. Jason had actually done some research on this and it was true that in the 40’s homosexuality was not publicly accepted. Though unfortunately it still wasn’t widely accepted today either, it would be accepted on the _Argo II_ , Jason was sure of that. If anyone had a problem with Nico he would personally see to it that said person was beaten to a pulp and thrown overboard- even if that person was Percy.  


But Jason didn’t think Percy would have a problem with it. Again, he didn’t think it would be a problem with anyone. Jason figured that if Nico did tell everyone, and everyone accepted him, maybe Nico would stop hating Percy and, more importantly, himself. Maybe the kid would actually smile again. The one time Nico had smiled, it was actually really kind of beautiful. Jason figured that if Nico smiled more often, he could probably win over Percy. Well, if it wasn’t for Annabeth.  


“Earth to Jason! Hello!” Jason just realized that Piper was talking to him.  


“W-what?” His eyes focused back onto Piper’s ever-changing ones.  


“I asked you if you knew any single girls into boys who can summon ghosts and who are dark and pouty and forever in a bad mood?” She repeated, frowning at the celling.  


“You’re trying to set up Nico?” Jason asked, surprised. “Since when are you into setting people up, or literally anything to do with romance?” He demanded.  


Piper sighed. “I’m just hoping to get him… _slightly_ happier. He’s so hung up on Annabeth, and it’s worse now that she’s back and all over the place with Percy. I want Nico to be happy.”  


“Why?” Jason didn’t mean for it to come out so harshly, but it did.  


Piper looked back at him, raising her eyebrows. “You don’t want him to be happy? I mean I know he’s a little weird but it seems like you two have been getting along lately-“  


“No, it’s not that.” Jason said quickly. “I mean why do _you_ care about Nico’s happiness?”  


Piper was silent for a moment. Then, “Why do you, Jason? You thought he was as terrifying as the rest of us and then you came back with that scepter and you two are like best friends- well as close to it as someone could get with Nico. I mean what happened in Split?” She asked, frowning.  


“Nothing happened in Split!” Jason insisted- his usual answer. “I just… We can all be a little mean to Nico sometimes.”  


“Well I’m trying to change that.” Piper insisted.  


“By changing him.” Jason pointed out.  


“By _helping _him.” Piper almost growled. She shook it off before continuing. “To answer your previous why question, its just because I feel bad. I have you, Annabeth has Percy, Hazel has Frank and even Leo seems like he’s met someone, even if he won’t tell us who it is!”  
__

“I’m not sure that counts.” Jason protested.  


Piper ignored him and continued. “But Nico only has some girl who he’s been hung up on for years who, as I previously mentioned, is taken. I may not _like_ being a child of Aphrodite, but I am and something in my blood can’t stand to see him so distraught- at least not over love. I can’t solve his other problems but I can at least try to fix this.”  


“I think you should stay out of it, Pipes. Nico’s love life is the last thing he wants to talk about. Maybe we should try to cheer him up in other ways.” Jason suggested gently.  


“Like what?” Piper groaned.  


For that, Jason didn’t actually have an answer. All he knew is that he wanted to keep his girlfriend away from Nico’s love life. “Why don’t you ask Hazel?” He suggested.  


Piper groaned again. Jason leaned his head forward and kissed her forehead, leaving his lips there as he spoke. “You know, you could just leave it alone entirely.”  


Piper sighed and wrapped her arms around Jason as best she could. “I know. But I won’t. Everyone deserves to be happy- even Nico Di Angelo.”  


Jason smiled against her skin- this was one of the many reasons he loved Piper. “Even Nico Di Angelo.” He agreed quietly.


	3. Nico

Nico was pretty sure that his happy days were over. Not that he had many in the first place, but his taking to the _Argo II_ on a permanent-type basis was surely a death penalty for being happy.  


He still wasn’t quite sure why he did it. Was it for Hazel? She had gone through a lot in the last few days and having an older brother around might be the comfort she needs. Maybe it was for Frank, who was now able to command an army of the dead, and Nico was the only one with experience in that field, so he could probably help Frank. Possibly it was to make sure that SOB Jason Grace kept his promise and didn’t breathe a word about anything that happened in Split.  


But no. No that wasn’t it. Nico knew, deep down why he was here. And he hated it. He hated that it was concern for _Percy Jackson_ that kept him anchored to this god-awful ship.  


But Percy had just gone through an ordeal and when Nico went through the same ordeal, he could’ve used someone who knew what it was like and could be there for him. Percy could use someone who knew what it was like, someone to comfort him, hold him close, someone to tangle his fingers in Percy’s messy hair and pull his lips closer-  


Nico physically shook his head to get rid of the thoughts because _why in the Underworld was he thinking about Percy Jackon’s lips?_ His soft, pink lips forming that cocky smile that made Nico want to punch him so hard in the face.  


“Ugh.” Nico groaned out loud, thankful that no one could hear him. He was glad no one else was interested in the crow’s nest because he practically lived up there now- now that Percy was back.  


It’s where Nico was now, and where he liked to be every night. The crow’s nest was far enough away from the deck that the torchlight didn’t reach, and any light there was came from the stars overhead. Here the wind blew through his messy hair gently, keeping him cool (as if he needed any help with that, considering his naturally low body temperature). Nico leaned his head against the mast and looked up at the stars. Here, in the middle of the Mediterranean, there was no light pollution. The stars were even brighter than they were when he was younger.  


When he and Bianca shared a room, they used to sneak out of bed and try to spot shooting stars. He was never good at keeping his wish a secret- he used to tell Bianca right after he wished. “You’re not supposed to _tell_ me your wish, Nicky!” She would giggle, ruffling his hair. “Well what did you wish for?” Nico would ask her, but she would never say. Just another part of Bianca that Nico would never know.  


He sighed, bumping his head against the mast again. Nico wanted to wish on the stars again- but he didn’t know what he wanted to wish for. Or at least, he didn’t want to admit it to himself. Plus Nico didn’t believe in wishing on stars anymore, he wasn’t a child. If you wanted something to happen you had to get it done yourself- and most likely the gods would ruin all your plans anyway, so why bother? Life was pointless. _Sigh._  


Below him, Nico could hear the sounds of the crew, living life without him. Piper and Hazel were practicing sword fighting. Annabeth was reciting Latin to Jason, who has been teaching her “for fun”. Leo was sitting next to the helm, but he was loudly tinkering with the Archimedes Sphere, occasionally cursing at it. Frank had gone below deck to sleep a while ago. And Percy? _Ugh, why do I even care about him?_ Nico thought bitterly. But of course, he knew that Percy was sitting on prow, talking to the local water nymphs about what was going on in every direction, and specifically closer to land. Nico was easily able to pick out Percy’s soft mumblings through all the noise. His voice was so gentle, but Nico could pick up on a hint of worry. He wished he could comfort Percy. Sure there were dark times on the horizon- but they weren’t anywhere close to the _Argo II._ They were safe for now, Nico could feel it.  


But perhaps there were other people that he should be trying to comfort, other than the boy who made him completely miserable. Namely, Hazel who Nico imagined was going through an ordeal. She just had the realization that she was far more powerful than she had thought, and she was already pretty damn powerful. Her powers to control the Mist could be used for good or evil, and as someone who had been on both sides of the looking glass, Nico figured he could probably help. He wanted to encourage her to use them for good, but in his opinion, the most important part of having intense demigod powers was not letting anyone manipulate you to use them- good or evil. And that’s what he wanted to teach her.  
Then again, Hazel might not need him. When Nico was going through the realization that he had awesome and terrible powers, he had no one. No one to teach him how to use them, and when to use them and what the consequences could be. Hazel had her boyfriend, and an entire crew of people who deeply believed in her. Maybe she didn’t need her older brother.  


Nico frowned, looking away from the sky. He wasn’t quite sure what the emotion he had when he thought of Hazel as his sister, but it definitely made him feel something. There was some guilt- would Bianca be mad or jealous now that Nico had found himself a new sister? Would she think that he was forgetting about her? Shame was another one because to this day he still wasn’t sure what possessed him to bring Hazel back from the dead. Was it a selfish act? Was he looking for someone to share the burden of being a child of Hades? Did Hazel even want to be here? He also felt guilty for feeling relieved that Hazel was there with him. It was nice to have another child of Hades to share the burden. It was nice to have another sister, especially one who looked up to him. Who loved him and wouldn’t leave him the moment some hot-shot goddess came along with the offer of immortality as long as she gave up all the men in her life- including Nico.  


Nico realized that the area around him was darker then it should be, which meant he was brooding again. Shadows tended to cling to him when he started to do that. In fact, even if the crew hadn’t noticed, he was willing to bet it was brighter on deck because the darkness crept toward him. For the most part, Nico didn’t mind so much. It wrapped around him like a blanket, keeping him safe and allowing him to pass unnoticed by judgmental, prying eyes.  


Nico tried to shake it off- but it’s hard to shake off darkness. He had learned that the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter to come soon! (Because its already written and on my tumblr I just need to bring it over here and format it)


	4. Percy

After Percy spent the night trying to charm the news out of some Mediterranean water nymphs, he slumped into bed early. Annabeth must have decided to let him sleep, because he woke up the next morning at what he estimated was about eleven.  


Percy wandered out of his room and into the mess area in the clothes he fell asleep in, which was just his jeans because he had managed to wrestle off his shirt before collapsing. The mess was empty, except for Frank who was seemed to be falling asleep into a bowl of Cheerio’s. Percy sort of laughed before going for a bowl of his own. Frank must have woken up shortly after Percy went to bed, because he was in charge of the night shift. Percy filled up his bowl with Cheerio’s and blue milk before smacking it down on the table.  


Frank jolted awake, blinking rapidly. Percy smirked and sat down at the table across from him. “Morning, Frank.”  


Frank rubbed his eyes. “Is it?” He muttered.  


“For me, but I guess not so much for you. How’d the shift go?” Percy asked before stuffing his mouth with cereal.  


“Fine.” Frank yawned. “No disturbance.”  


“Good.” Percy kept shoveling food into his mouth.  


Percy didn’t think he knew Frank very well or any of them, really. That’s what he had thought, but his recent trip to Tartarus proved otherwise because while he and Annabeth went through hell and back below the surface, his crew went through the same above the surface. He knew it would be dangerous for them, but he never knew the full extent of the terrors they faced. Yet when they finally resurfaced, everyone was so happy and relieved to see them. They hugged and cried and swapped tales. Percy never realized how much the crew depended on him, how much people looked up to him. He was still surprised about the stories Annabeth told him when he went missing the first time- how all Camp Half Blood was concerned by his disappearance, and they all stopped everything to look for him. Percy knew he was at least semi-important after the Titan War, but it’s not like he single-handedly won the war. It’s not like he rebuilt the city afterwards, or Olympus or Camp Half Blood. He was just Percy. Just Percy, who was supposed to go back to high school in September (ugh) and who would have nothing to write about in his What I Did Over Summer Break essay without sounding certifiably insane.  


But things had changed. He was starting to realize that maybe he was important, maybe he was relevant. Maybe there was even a part of Percy worth fighting for. And he had his crew to thank for the fact that he was still alive. His crew had fought hard for him, who put value in him before he saw it there himself. They were closer now. The walls that were separating them, whatever they were, had completely disappeared. They weren’t Romans and Greeks or children of the prophecy anymore- they were friends.  


And even if Percy was a little slow to it, he could tell when something was wrong with his friend. He finished chewing and swallowed before asking, “What’s wrong, Frank?”  


“Nothing.” Frank said- too quickly. Percy just raised his eyebrow and waited. Frank sighed. “It’s just… I’m a praetor. A praetor of New Rome.”  


Percy cocked his head to the side. “Something wrong with that?”  


“I’ve never been in charge of anything. My predecessor was _Jason Grace._ ” Frank looked truly distressed.  


“Jason is your friend.” Percy pointed out.  


“He’s also Mr. Perfect. And _I’m_ his replacement. The last time New Rome saw me, I was just a screw up in the 12th legion.” He sighed into his bowl.  


“And now you’re a kickass soldier, son of Are- er, Mars, who can control an army of dead ghosts and shape shift into any animal you want! I don’t think even Octavian could argue with your promotion.” Percy encouraged. They both knew that last part was a lie- Octavian could argue against world peace, and probably make it sound convincing too- but it seemed to make Frank feel better regardless.  


“Maybe you’re right.” Frank mused, before stifling another yawn.  


“There’s a reason Jason chose you, Frank. And it wasn’t just because you were handy. There’s also a reason Jason couldn’t control those ghosts and you could. I think Jason was as right to step down as he was to promote you up.” Percy argued before standing. He put his bowl in the sink and went over to pat Frank on the shoulder. “You should get some sleep, man. You never know when we’ll need those mad skills of yours.”  


Frank sort of laughed. “Mad skills. Right. Thanks, Percy.” He added, in a much more sincere tone.  


Percy smiled as he head toward the door that lead to the main deck. “What are friends for?”  


He stepped outside, blinking and letting his eyes readjust to the bright day. As soon as he was able to see, he saw a blade flying towards him- one that would’ve embedded itself in his neck had he not ducked. He looked up slowly to see that it was Katoptris, Piper’s dagger. _“Um?”_ Percy said loudly, glaring at the knife.  


Piper came running over from across the deck, apologies spilling out of her mouth. “Oh my gods, Percy I am so, so sorry! Are you okay? Thank the gods you ducked!”  


“Yeah,” Percy ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was all still there. “Yeah, everything seems to be intact.”  


Piper looked relieved as she went to pull the knife out of the board above his head. “Again, I’m so sorry.”  


“Why are you throwing knives around the deck, again?” Percy asked, stepping a few feet away.  


“We’re practicing and I was aiming for Jason, I swear.”  


“Oh right.” Percy said sarcastically. “That’s much clearer, thanks.”  


She laughed. “I mean not at Jason, just in his direction. He’s actually the one practicing. But I sort of… missed.”  


“Hey, Seaweed Brain!” Annabeth yelled from across the boat. “We could actually use some help training, if you’re not too tired?” The question was yelled out in a cocky voice, but Percy knew Annabeth well enough to hear the worry running underneath it. Annabeth had been worrying about Percy’s health ever since they returned from Tartartus- just as Percy had been worrying about her health. They both seemed to be fine though, and Nico had told them that there shouldn’t be any last effects- unless they seriously screwed up down there. He cautioned them to be careful and to at least attempt avoiding trouble, at least for a little while. Percy had joked that trouble was in love with him, because it was always following him around. Nico just looked away, like he couldn’t stand Percy’s jokes even more then he couldn’t stand Percy. Percy knew why this kid hated him so much, but he was determined to try and change that. It would be nice if he were friends with everyone on the crew, including Nico.  


“You know me,” Percy finally replied to Annabeth, smiling at her in attempt to make her feel better. “Always ready for a practice fight where no one can actually hurt me.”  


Things had gone from practice fighting to _all out war_ pretty fast. It was definitely Annabeth’s fault, who “accidentally” cut Percy’s upper arm. That’s when Leo dropped out with (“Um, if there’s going to be real blood spill I need to mental prepare myself for at least 5-6 days in advance.”).  


“It’s a good thing I’m not wearing a shirt, or you would owe me a new shirt.” Percy frowned at his arm, examining the cut. It wasn’t deep, and it only kind of stung, but still.  


“Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Piper asked, here eyes determinedly glued to the Percy’s face.  


Percy shrugged. “I didn’t put one on this morning.”  


“Good answer.” Jason said, and he looked like he meant it. He frowned thoughtfully before lifting his arm and smelling his armpit. The look on his face said it all- and explained why he stripped off his shirt and threw it towards the wall of the ship. “Much better.” He grinned.  


Both Piper and Annabeth stared at Jason’s chest with their mouths slightly open. Percy frowned at his girlfriend before turning to Jason to see what they were gaping at. Jason and Percy had a similar build- but while Percy was slightly taller, Jason was slightly buffer. His shoulders were slightly broader, his abs slightly more defined and his arms slightly more muscular. With his tanned skin and his blonde hair and blue eyes- well, Percy could understand what the girls were staring at. But that didn’t mean he had to appreciate. Percy cleared his throat loudly, and Annabeth jumped, ripping her gaze from Jason.  


For a while they played shirts vs. skins- and then Annabeth took her shirt off. She was wearing a black sports bra underneath, so it’s not like she was exposing more skin than Percy had ever seen- but it was still a nice view. It was kind of funny though because when she stood next to Jason they looked like they could almost be brother and sister- and like real brother and sister, not demigod siblings. They both had the almost exact same shade of golden blonde hair, but Annabeth’s was long and curly, like an angel. They shared the same slightly tanned skin and toned physique. But Annabeth had stormy grey eyes that Percy loved so much.  


Piper’s shirt soon followed, revealing her neon pink sports bra underneath. Piper may try to hide her beauty as much as possible, but it was undeniable that she had a good body- one that Percy Definitely Did Not Notice. Then it was the girls, in their sports bras and jean short shorts versus the boys in their jeans. The breeze off the water kept them cool but the sun kept them from getting too cold.  


Percy wasn’t sure when the fighting went from playful to intense, but it did happen. Eventually the taunting turned to shouting, the _clinks_ of the swords turned to crashing sharp metal, glinting in the sunlight. Percy would have liked to call it off and say it was unnecessary, but the kind of sword fighting where someone could actually get hurt was the only kind that ever happened in a real situation.  


Plus it’s not like anyone was getting seriously hurt. Well, anyone except for Jason who seemed to be kind of off it today. He wasn’t as fast as he normally was, and he kept letting Annabeth and Piper cut him up. He was covered in a surprising amount of blood and bruises, to the point where Percy was getting kind of concerned- both for his health, and his fighting skills that seemed to have mostly disappeared.  


Finally Jason took a few steps out of the ‘ring’ and sort of slumped over, breathing heavily.  


“Jason?” Piper put down her sword immediately and moved toward him. “Are you okay?”  


“Yeah, I’m just a little tired.” He panted. “And bruised.” He winced as he straightened up again.  


Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look of concern- since they had gotten back, and as the oldest since Coach Hedge was gone; they had defaulted to the sort of parents in the group. “Are you sure, Jason?” Annabeth asked.  


“Do you need some water?” Percy added.  


“I’m fine, guys really.” Jason insisted. “I’m just gonna take a break if that’s okay?”  


“That’s fine.” Annabeth agreed.  


“Except now Percy doesn’t have a partner.” Piper frowned. “Maybe Frank….” He trailed off.  


“No, Frank is asleep.” Jason said quickly. “But maybe Nico could use some practice.”  


“He probably could.” Percy agreed. “If you think you could get him to fight along side me.”  


Jason rolled his eyes. “I’m sure I’ll get him to agree.”


	5. Jason

Jason walked slower than normal to Nico’s room. Though his plan seemed to be working so far, it didn’t come without its pains. He had to act slower, weaker, and let the girls kick his ass a little in order to pull this off. It wasn’t as hard as he thought it might be, at least not the latter part, anyway. Even if he was at full strength, Jason was pretty sure Annabeth could destroy him and it was clear that after a while she stared to ease up on purpose. Piper had gotten surprisingly good at sword fighting since the last time they sparred. It had never been her strong suit, but working with Hazel seemed to be helping a lot more than the few times Jason tried to teach her. It made sense that she and Hazel, with their similar size and strength, would have similar styles of fighting, relying more on speed rather than brute force which is what he had tried (and failed) to teach her. But it was definitely working for Piper, and Jason had a few cuts on his body to prove it.  


They were really starting to get into things- really starting to have fun- when Jason had to drop out. It was at this point that he knew that neither the girls nor Percy would just want to leave it, so they would have to find someone else. Thankfully, Frank was still asleep and Leo didn’t seem too keen on getting cut up when he wasn’t fighting for his life. _Go figure._  


That left one option- Nico. And Jason wasn’t _exactly_ trying to set up Percy and Nico or anything, but fighting side by side with someone, even if it was just for practice, changes the way you are around each other. It builds trust and almost defaults into a friendship. If Nico learned how to stop hating Percy, that would be great. It would also be a plus if Percy started to see Nico as the demigod hero he was, rather than the child who played some mystical card game.  


Jason didn’t care if they were friends or best friends or boyfriends or engaged by tomorrow morning- just so long as they got along well. He was sure that Percy wanted to be Nico’s friend, but he also knew that Percy didn’t blame Nico for hating him which was probably just encouraging Nico.  


Jason reached Nico’s bunk and knocked softly. He wasn’t sure if the kid was asleep or what but Jason was fairly certain he didn’t appreciate loud noises.  


After a minute Nico slowly opened the door, like two inches. His eyes widened when he saw Jason standing there, which is exactly when he remembered that he was sweaty and shirtless and covered in blood and bruises.  


“What?” Nico finally asked, his eyes looking anywhere except for Jason’s torso.  


Jason tried not to look insulted at Nico’s callous attitude- he was like that with everyone, after all. “Are you busy?”  


Nico looked into his room before looking back at Jason. “I guess not. Why? What happened to you?”  


This time Jason had to try not to smile- there was concern in that last question. Faint but definitely present concern. “Nothing.” He said quickly. “Just that I’m getting my ass kicked in practice by Piper and Annabeth so I’m sitting out the next round.”  


Nico waited for him to continue. When he didn’t he prompted, “Okay?” In a _Yeah, and?_ voice.  


“They obviously need to continue practicing, but I’m beat. Literally and figuratively. And Percy needs a partner to continue.” He spat out the last sentence quickly, like he was hoping it would go unnoticed by Nico and he would just agree to join.  


“No.” Nico said immediately. He went to close the door, but Jason shoved his foot in it.  


“Nico.” Jason sighed, slightly exasperated. He pushed open the door and was surprised to see- the cleanest room he’d ever seen in his life.  


He wasn’t sure why it surprised him, but Nico’s room was spotless. There were no clothes lying about, or anything lying about. Any personal effects Nico had, if he even had any, must have been put away in the drawers. Even the bed was probably perfectly made before Nico had flopped onto it, glaring at the celling.  


“I said no.” Nico repeated when Jason took another step into his room.  


“Come on, Nico. It’ll be fun.”  


“Yeah, it looks like you were having loads of fun.” Nico deadpanned.  


Jason tried to come up with a good response to that, but telling Nico that he was getting beat up on purpose, to get him to work with Percy, would probably not end well. “I think it’ll be good for you. You could always use more practice.”  


“Just because you know… _things_ about me doesn’t mean you can blackmail me into spending time with _Percy Jackson._ ” He said the name with a bitter disgust.  


“I’m not trying to blackmail you, I’m trying to help you. You honest-to-gods could use some practice. Especially with the people you’ll be fighting with on the battle field.”  


Nico propped himself up on his elbow, his glare piercing Jason’s very soul. If Nico stared at him too long, he could probably figure out Jason’s whole plan. What came next though surprised him. “Are you saying I’m bad at sword fighting?”  


Jason almost laughed from relief. “No! Well, not necessarily…”  


_“Fine.”_ Nico spat, pulling himself off his bed. “I’ll play your stupid game. But the moment you’re healed, you and I are going to go a few rounds and then we’ll see who’s actually bad at sword fighting, Grace.”  


Jason laughed, running his hands through his hair. “Deal.” He was relieved- not only would Nico fight side bye side with Percy, but that threat was similar to the one he and his friends would share back in New Rome. Maybe Nico did like him.

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm new to this who Ao3 thing and hopefully its not that obvious but I am. I was (/still am) posting on tumblr (slightlylessmediocre.tumblr.com) but someone suggested that I get an Ao3 account so here I am. Please leave me comments and stuff! I love comments and stuff! Thanks!!


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